Brandon had remained uncharacteristically silent when it came to Professor Khanna's question about the Foe Glass, and had spent the time staring at the object with a disturbed look instead of listening or taking any kind of notes. Are there people in that thing? Is it coming for me? Is it coming for my family? It's a mirror. I don't like those...

When the class moved on to the other two magical objects, Brandon tuned back in, but he didn't look entirely well. A little paler than usual, a little quieter. "The one that looks like an antennae is a probity probe. And it- it's supposed to detect when hidden magic is involved, whether that is a spell or an object. For example..." There was no example. Brandon, losing his focus again, abruptly turned the mini foe glass mirror-down so he wouldn't have to look at it anymore. He would not like to look at it anymore. But the whole room was full of them...

It was bothering him intensely, and he had utterly forgotten that he hadn't finished his answer.

From the second the lesson began Bryony's quill was moving across the parchment on her desk in a much nearer scrawl then some might expect from her. Since the start of this term her note taking had taken on a real seriousness and while she was very easily distracted still and easily excitable in many of her classes, she still managed to get the notes that she needed.

Erm, had she not answer ANY of the previous questions that had been asked? No. No, she hadn't. With good reason though. If anyone wanted to have a look at her detailed notes! There were even little poorly drawn sketches done of the objects on her desk on the parchment where all the information of the item was written. It was during one of these sketches that the young Slytherin had heard Professor Khanna warn them about the noise that would be sounding for the object he was currently speaking about. Her gaze lifted only briefly enough to take in the sneakoscope. She knew it was going to be noisy but not nearly as bad as it was.

Despite the screeching sound, (they may have finally found something louder than her shouts Ary!)she didn't cover her ears nor did she take her gaze off of it. "So cool.." Could they do that again?! She liked this one. Hehe.

Now that her attention was grabbed officially, the following question did make its way fully to her. May as well try to give a good answer if she could before she resumed taking down anymore notes. With her hand in the air she waited her turn before speaking. "The other one is a Secrecy Sencor. When someone is telling a lie it vibrates." It was pretty cool too if not as fun as the other one that lite up and made all the noise!

It was a relief that Aurora was as confident in herself as she was or else being singled out like that in front of class might have been the most anxiety-inducing moment in the world. She knew it wasn’t actually called a Sneaky-Thingamajig but as was often the case with items she didn’t use every day, the true name had flown straight out of her head. Still Vera had rescued her with the correct answer (big grin for her favourite sixth year) and she attempted to store all the information thrown at her in the back of her noggin’.

A chocolate frog card was suddenly been passed around and the fourth year took a second to examine it closely. She’d never been particularly ‘into’ collecting them, mostly because she’d be more excited over ripping open the packet and consuming the sugary treat. Perhaps if the cards came in a fetching shade of pink and contained a little more whimsy she would start her own collection but as it was they didn’t hold her interest for quite long enough.

She’d just passed the card on when the lesson moved onto a demonstration. With the Sneakoscope in the palm of her hand, the blonde's nose wrinkled at the high pitched shrillness of the noise. She for sure would rather not know if anyone was up to any funny business than put up with that sound for too long. Besides sometimes it could be a little fun to be mischievous, like the time that she and Vera had dyed the (current) seventh year Slytherin boys shirts pink and later spotted them sporting their attire in the castle. An amused smile befell her face as she thought about this occasion causing her to entirely miss the next question asked of the class.

Which was likely a positive considering she didn’t have anything further to add.

As for the following two objects that were demonstrated? Aurora listened to her fellow students' suggestions of their names. “What’s the point in a secrecy sensor? If someone else knew the secret it wouldn’t be a secret anymore!” She might’ve been one of the most talkative students in the school whose excitement often got the better of her mouth but if one of her best friends had entrusted her with a secret then she would endeavour to keep it as quiet as possible. “Isn’t it like a metal detector but for like.. lies? Or concealed things. Kinda like when you go to the airport and you have to go through security and they sometimes wave this metal detecting wand thingy over you. Except I imagine most of you probably haven’t been to an airport before because why would you need to?” Advantages of having muggle grandparents she supposed although she much preferred using the Floo network anyway.

She was suddenly realizing just how little she actually knew about dark device things. Considering Vera had pretty much nothing to contribute to the conversations happening around her, which meant she should probably just take notes instead of trying to offer any answers. Even though she liked the sound of her own voice. So when they moved on to the secrecy thing and the probity probe, instead of opening her mouth to lament how ridiculous those names were (because really. Especially the secrecy sensor considering it was more of a lie detector and couldn't just decipher when someone was keeping something from an individual), she scribbled on the page in front of her the different things being mentioned by her peers.

Until it also occurred to her... would she need this particular information? Deciding probably not, and that it was safer for her twin if she didn't, she instead glanced around to observe her classmates.

Which was the only reason she had noticed Brandonand his trailing off in his own answer. Her head tilted a bit at the younger student, but she saw how particularly uncomfortable he seemed with his mirror. Did he have enemies himself that he didn't want to get closer? That seemed unlikely considering he was... what, a third year? But his discomfort was incredibly obvious. And of course she wasn't remembering he was one of the ones afflicted by the weirdness of the previous term. Either way, if the glass thing was making him uncomfortable - there was an easy fix to that! Picking up her own probity probe she leeeeeeeaned over towards his desk and plopped it with his other mini devices, before not so sneakily grabbing his foe glass instead and adding it to her own. She could do with repeats of devices. And if Khanna somehow did not notice the little exchange, then maybe they'd just think Brandon and Vera had all four of the things they were supposed to anyways.

She righted into her seat again, picking up her quill and going back to scribbling down other notes as others talked. She didn't say anything during the exchange, but if Brandon did glance her way she simply would have given him a wink.

Nothing really to see here.

Sad face. Archie was kind of hoping that there would be another chocolate frog card for whoever had invented the Foe Glass, but as it would so seem, there wasn't. Such was life sometimes though. Not that he truly needed, nor wanted another one on top of the one that was already so kindly presented to them all. He wasn't that greedy after all. But to say that it would've been anything but nice would have been a lie. The facts presented about the person on the card were always of interest to the youngin'. They were nifty little factoids and tidbits that could come in handy at pretty much any moment. So instead, he'd write down the information that was verbally given by both Professor Khanna and those who also answered the previous question. Carefully being methodically organized for easy access if he ever needed to know these things at a later date.

Then the class would be ushered into the next portion of the last two remaining Dark Detectors. One of which was the one that Archibald almost grabbed at the beginning of class, the Secrecy Sensor. And one particular answer, well, in this case, question, caught his attention. It was given from someone who was in the year above him, Aurora. She had made note that given what the detector does, it kind of contradicted the name of it in some degree. But Archie couldn't help but disagree with it, so would decide to give some banter to debate about. Raising a hand, and waiting to be called on, the third year would add to her question "Well, that is the relative point of the device in it's entirety. To divulge one of information which would otherwise be secretive. For example, it could be used by an interrogator while questioning a criminal to ensure they were telling the absolute truth on whatever matter was being questioned." He wanted to give her a run for her money on being the most talkative person there, truth be told. Especially given during times of light-hearted debates such as this. So, his answer wouldn't just stop there.

This time though, it was more so being directed in the general question of giving some more information on it. "I believe, there was a time in Hogwart's history when one of the caretakers of the school had to use these on the students as they were coming and going from the castle to make sure they weren't in possession of any dark artifacts. I don't think it was for a long period of time though, maybe a year at most. And not entirely sure on who the caretaker was or when it happened." There. Now Archie was done with his answer, and relatively satisfied upon doing so.

Desiree was relieved to hear she'd been correct about the loss for glass schematic. As she listened to Professor Khanna's explanation, she had so many questions! Why did the foe glass schematic disappear? How long was it missing? And how were people able to acquire foe glasses while the schematic was gone?

There wasn't time to dwell on it, as the discussion moved on to other types of dark detectors: secrecy sensors and probity probes. Desiree glanced at the two golden objects, one straight and one squiggly, trying to recall facts about them. Another student's (Archie) answer jogged her memory, and her hand went up. ”The Death Eaters also used probity probes to guard the entrance to Gringotts during their takeover in 1997,” she said. ”Harry Potter got around them by using a Confundus Charm on the Death Eaters.,” A thought occurred to her, and she added, ”Could a probity probe or secrecy sensor be affected by a Confundus Charm?”

SPOILER!!: Probity Probe answers! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Brandon had remained uncharacteristically silent when it came to Professor Khanna's question about the Foe Glass, and had spent the time staring at the object with a disturbed look instead of listening or taking any kind of notes. Are there people in that thing? Is it coming for me? Is it coming for my family? It's a mirror. I don't like those...

When the class moved on to the other two magical objects, Brandon tuned back in, but he didn't look entirely well. A little paler than usual, a little quieter. "The one that looks like an antennae is a probity probe. And it- it's supposed to detect when hidden magic is involved, whether that is a spell or an object. For example..." There was no example. Brandon, losing his focus again, abruptly turned the mini foe glass mirror-down so he wouldn't have to look at it anymore. He would not like to look at it anymore. But the whole room was full of them...

It was bothering him intensely, and he had utterly forgotten that he hadn't finished his answer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Desiree was relieved to hear she'd been correct about the loss for glass schematic. As she listened to Professor Khanna's explanation, she had so many questions! Why did the foe glass schematic disappear? How long was it missing? And how were people able to acquire foe glasses while the schematic was gone?

There wasn't time to dwell on it, as the discussion moved on to other types of dark detectors: secrecy sensors and probity probes. Desiree glanced at the two golden objects, one straight and one squiggly, trying to recall facts about them. Another student's (Archie) answer jogged her memory, and her hand went up. ”The Death Eaters also used probity probes to guard the entrance to Gringotts during their takeover in 1997,” she said. ”Harry Potter got around them by using a Confundus Charm on the Death Eaters.,” A thought occurred to her, and she added, ”Could a probity probe or secrecy sensor be affected by a Confundus Charm?”

Brandon voiced his answer; Dhruv heard it but they were immediately concerned about the Hufflepuff. “Is something the matter?” they asked quietly, having approached Brandon’s desk. Was it something about the Foe Glass? It was easy to see his attention kept going back to it. However, Dhruv still had a class to move along, though his concern for Brandon did not wane. It was quite okay that the boy could not provide an example at the moment. “Mr. Fox is correct. The Detector that resembles an antenna is called a Probity Probe.” When Desiree was called upon, she too provided some excellent insight on the Probes. “Indeed the Death Eaters did. While the idea was a good one, they failed to realise that they themselves can be tricked with spells such as the Confundus Charm. It is therefor safe to say, Ms. Marchand, neither of these two Detectors can be affected by that Charm; it is due to humans or goblins being tricked that the use of the Probes failed."

SPOILER!!: Secrecy Sensors answers! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

From the second the lesson began Bryony's quill was moving across the parchment on her desk in a much nearer scrawl then some might expect from her. Since the start of this term her note taking had taken on a real seriousness and while she was very easily distracted still and easily excitable in many of her classes, she still managed to get the notes that she needed.

Erm, had she not answer ANY of the previous questions that had been asked? No. No, she hadn't. With good reason though. If anyone wanted to have a look at her detailed notes! There were even little poorly drawn sketches done of the objects on her desk on the parchment where all the information of the item was written. It was during one of these sketches that the young Slytherin had heard Professor Khanna warn them about the noise that would be sounding for the object he was currently speaking about. Her gaze lifted only briefly enough to take in the sneakoscope. She knew it was going to be noisy but not nearly as bad as it was.

Despite the screeching sound, (they may have finally found something louder than her shouts Ary!)she didn't cover her ears nor did she take her gaze off of it. "So cool.." Could they do that again?! She liked this one. Hehe.

Now that her attention was grabbed officially, the following question did make its way fully to her. May as well try to give a good answer if she could before she resumed taking down anymore notes. With her hand in the air she waited her turn before speaking. "The other one is a Secrecy Sencor. When someone is telling a lie it vibrates." It was pretty cool too if not as fun as the other one that lite up and made all the noise!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lottiepot

It was a relief that Aurora was as confident in herself as she was or else being singled out like that in front of class might have been the most anxiety-inducing moment in the world. She knew it wasn’t actually called a Sneaky-Thingamajig but as was often the case with items she didn’t use every day, the true name had flown straight out of her head. Still Vera had rescued her with the correct answer (big grin for her favourite sixth year) and she attempted to store all the information thrown at her in the back of her noggin’.

A chocolate frog card was suddenly been passed around and the fourth year took a second to examine it closely. She’d never been particularly ‘into’ collecting them, mostly because she’d be more excited over ripping open the packet and consuming the sugary treat. Perhaps if the cards came in a fetching shade of pink and contained a little more whimsy she would start her own collection but as it was they didn’t hold her interest for quite long enough.

She’d just passed the card on when the lesson moved onto a demonstration. With the Sneakoscope in the palm of her hand, the blonde's nose wrinkled at the high pitched shrillness of the noise. She for sure would rather not know if anyone was up to any funny business than put up with that sound for too long. Besides sometimes it could be a little fun to be mischievous, like the time that she and Vera had dyed the (current) seventh year Slytherin boys shirts pink and later spotted them sporting their attire in the castle. An amused smile befell her face as she thought about this occasion causing her to entirely miss the next question asked of the class.

Which was likely a positive considering she didn’t have anything further to add.

As for the following two objects that were demonstrated? Aurora listened to her fellow students' suggestions of their names. “What’s the point in a secrecy sensor? If someone else knew the secret it wouldn’t be a secret anymore!” She might’ve been one of the most talkative students in the school whose excitement often got the better of her mouth but if one of her best friends had entrusted her with a secret then she would endeavour to keep it as quiet as possible. “Isn’t it like a metal detector but for like.. lies? Or concealed things. Kinda like when you go to the airport and you have to go through security and they sometimes wave this metal detecting wand thingy over you. Except I imagine most of you probably haven’t been to an airport before because why would you need to?” Advantages of having muggle grandparents she supposed although she much preferred using the Floo network anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by natethegreat

Sad face. Archie was kind of hoping that there would be another chocolate frog card for whoever had invented the Foe Glass, but as it would so seem, there wasn't. Such was life sometimes though. Not that he truly needed, nor wanted another one on top of the one that was already so kindly presented to them all. He wasn't that greedy after all. But to say that it would've been anything but nice would have been a lie. The facts presented about the person on the card were always of interest to the youngin'. They were nifty little factoids and tidbits that could come in handy at pretty much any moment. So instead, he'd write down the information that was verbally given by both Professor Khanna and those who also answered the previous question. Carefully being methodically organized for easy access if he ever needed to know these things at a later date.

Then the class would be ushered into the next portion of the last two remaining Dark Detectors. One of which was the one that Archibald almost grabbed at the beginning of class, the Secrecy Sensor. And one particular answer, well, in this case, question, caught his attention. It was given from someone who was in the year above him, Aurora. She had made note that given what the detector does, it kind of contradicted the name of it in some degree. But Archie couldn't help but disagree with it, so would decide to give some banter to debate about. Raising a hand, and waiting to be called on, the third year would add to her question "Well, that is the relative point of the device in it's entirety. To divulge one of information which would otherwise be secretive. For example, it could be used by an interrogator while questioning a criminal to ensure they were telling the absolute truth on whatever matter was being questioned." He wanted to give her a run for her money on being the most talkative person there, truth be told. Especially given during times of light-hearted debates such as this. So, his answer wouldn't just stop there.

This time though, it was more so being directed in the general question of giving some more information on it. "I believe, there was a time in Hogwart's history when one of the caretakers of the school had to use these on the students as they were coming and going from the castle to make sure they weren't in possession of any dark artifacts. I don't think it was for a long period of time though, maybe a year at most. And not entirely sure on who the caretaker was or when it happened." There. Now Archie was done with his answer, and relatively satisfied upon doing so.

It came as no surprise that this particular Slytherin girl enjoyed the whistling of the Sneakoscope. Few things could beat the loudness that came along with Bryony. “Very good, Ms. Paton,’’ Dhruv replied with a nod or two. The professor could not help but grin at Aurora’s question, but their response was directed at both her and Archie as well as the class as a whole. “Not to worry; the Sensor only detects concealment and lies. It does not pinpoint what those concealments and lies blatantly are, much like how the Sneakoscope works.” Aurora’s knowledge of how the security process at airports worked and her comparison to the metal detecting and Secrecy Sensor were greatly appreciated. “An excellent comparison. Now, I’m certain that Muggle Studies has taught each of you much about the Muggle world. The metal detector Ms. Ackerly is referring to is somewhat similar in appearance to a Secrecy Sensor as well as the way in which they are used in their attempt to find out if something is hidden. Mr. O’Brien provides an excellent use of Sensors; they would assist Aurors a great deal. The use of the Sensor by a Hogwarts caretaker, I believe, occurred at least once during Harry Potter’s time, though it may have been used before and after that time.”

SPOILER!!: Vera! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chelliephone

She was suddenly realizing just how little she actually knew about dark device things. Considering Vera had pretty much nothing to contribute to the conversations happening around her, which meant she should probably just take notes instead of trying to offer any answers. Even though she liked the sound of her own voice. So when they moved on to the secrecy thing and the probity probe, instead of opening her mouth to lament how ridiculous those names were (because really. Especially the secrecy sensor considering it was more of a lie detector and couldn't just decipher when someone was keeping something from an individual), she scribbled on the page in front of her the different things being mentioned by her peers.

Until it also occurred to her... would she need this particular information? Deciding probably not, and that it was safer for her twin if she didn't, she instead glanced around to observe her classmates.

Which was the only reason she had noticed Brandonand his trailing off in his own answer. Her head tilted a bit at the younger student, but she saw how particularly uncomfortable he seemed with his mirror. Did he have enemies himself that he didn't want to get closer? That seemed unlikely considering he was... what, a third year? But his discomfort was incredibly obvious. And of course she wasn't remembering he was one of the ones afflicted by the weirdness of the previous term. Either way, if the glass thing was making him uncomfortable - there was an easy fix to that! Picking up her own probity probe she leeeeeeeaned over towards his desk and plopped it with his other mini devices, before not so sneakily grabbing his foe glass instead and adding it to her own. She could do with repeats of devices. And if Khanna somehow did not notice the little exchange, then maybe they'd just think Brandon and Vera had all four of the things they were supposed to anyways.

She righted into her seat again, picking up her quill and going back to scribbling down other notes as others talked. She didn't say anything during the exchange, but if Brandon did glance her way she simply would have given him a wink.

Nothing really to see here.

No answer from Vera this time around? That wasn’t a problem; as long as she was listening attentively and making the appropriate notes, Dhruv would be content. It was clear that she too had picked up on Brandon’s mood too. They did notice that she had swapped out her Probe for his Foe Glass. Perhaps this was her way of helping the younger student, so as long as Brandon had no issue with the swap, Dhruv would not ask Vera to undo the swap.


* * * * * * * * * * * * *


“Another point to note is that while Secrecy Sensors detect jinxes, curses, and Concealment Charms, they cannot pick up on certain potions like Love Potions. The reason for this is that Love Potions are not considered to be ‘dark’. Probity Probes also detect Concealment Charms, however, in addition they detect hidden magical objects.”

Dhruv paused here to allow the note taking to continue and to take any questions that may come their way. It was only then that they proceeded. “I would like you now to place yourself in a hypothetical situation, or you may speak about a situation of your own if you feel comfortable doing so. Your instinct tells you that you are being used, or someone has manipulated you into doing something above the law, or you suspect a family member is carrying a suspicious object - you are not limited to these scenarios. Share with the class what Detector you would serve as the best to get to the bottom of this mystery and why.”



OOC: Heyyya! We have twenty-four hours before we move onto the main activity! I’ve loved reading your posts so far!

Could Professor Khanna blame her?! The Sneakoscope was wicked cool and honestly she was likely to be found playing with hers just for the fun of it once this lesson was over. Sorry to all her dorm mates whom she was definitely going to annoy! She didn't know if she should be proud or upset by the fact that they knew this but you know what, she was going to consider this a good thing. It meant that they knew their students, at least her. Very good, Professor.

Bryony was ever so grateful for the pause in Khanna's speaking so that she could continue with her note taking without completely falling behind. She was actually doing her best to remain on task now and his question had her thinking for quite some time before she slowly lifted a hand into the air. "Erm.. well I know I WOULD'NT use the Sneakoscope because I would have waaaaaaay too much fun playing with that one and I'd most likely get caught giggling or something when it started shrieking." She had answered the question but she also hadn't answered it. Oops.

All of the four objects were now talked about, at least briefly, in regards to primarily what they were used for. Relatively obviously, given their general name of Dark Detector, they all shared some form of commonality at that too. Determining something which would be otherwise unknown or hidden through various means. How they went about doing so is where each largely varied, and this was something that Archie had written about within his notes on them. Using a Venn diagram of sorts, only utilizing four circles instead of what ordinarily would only be 2. In between their conjunction is where he would place this similarity. With each now being filled out in some form or another, being done so meticulously, it was at least enough written for later use.

Lo' and behold, that later use could actually be the current moment. As Professor Khanna moved on to the next bit, he asked about theoretical situations that they could be used in. This was something that could be answered with ease now, whereas had this question come up at the start of the lesson...not so much. So, with a hand being held up high in the air towards the ceiling, yes, like Archie just didn't have a care, the young wizard would recant on a situation that had occurred previously in life "As someone with younger brothers who are prone to...telling their own creative stories to our parents, the Secrecy Sensor would be able to help determine the truth of the matter. For example, there was this one time when my youngest sibling Kenny told our mom that I was the one taking our other brother's video games, which was a lie."

And it was to a certain extent. Archibold wasn't taking his brother's video games specifically...but he was the one who took the charging cord for the PlayStation controllers. So, if it came down to specific semantics and lying through the direct words told, then it would be useful. If not...well, then...oops...

Brandon shook his head unconvincingly at professor Khanna's question, not wanting to admit that anything was wrong. Not in front of the class, at least... maybe later. Still, he was immensely relieved when Vera switched his foe glass with her probity probe, and he shot her a grateful smile. It made it a lot easier for him to focus.

"If I got a bad gut feeling about someone I just met, I would use a sneakoscope to detect if they were doing something untrustworthy or lying to me. I can't think of a situation other than an interpersonal one where I would need a sneakoscope... I think the other dark detectors would be generally more useful."

Except for the foe glass, of course. It wasn't useful if he couldn't look at it without freaking out.

SPOILER!!: Bry! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kolyander

Could Professor Khanna blame her?! The Sneakoscope was wicked cool and honestly she was likely to be found playing with hers just for the fun of it once this lesson was over. Sorry to all her dorm mates whom she was definitely going to annoy! She didn't know if she should be proud or upset by the fact that they knew this but you know what, she was going to consider this a good thing. It meant that they knew their students, at least her. Very good, Professor.

Bryony was ever so grateful for the pause in Khanna's speaking so that she could continue with her note taking without completely falling behind. She was actually doing her best to remain on task now and his question had her thinking for quite some time before she slowly lifted a hand into the air. "Erm.. well I know I WOULD'NT use the Sneakoscope because I would have waaaaaaay too much fun playing with that one and I'd most likely get caught giggling or something when it started shrieking." She had answered the question but she also hadn't answered it. Oops.

No, not at all! How could they when they knew exactly what Bryony’s personality was like? After all, Hady spoke a great deal about her children, and of course Dhruv had his own experiences with each of the four. They laughed quietly but heartily. “Alright, we all understand that the Sneakoscope will not be your choice when you’re faced with any situation.” A somewhat cheeky response, Ms. Paton!

SPOILER!!: Archie! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by natethegreat

All of the four objects were now talked about, at least briefly, in regards to primarily what they were used for. Relatively obviously, given their general name of Dark Detector, they all shared some form of commonality at that too. Determining something which would be otherwise unknown or hidden through various means. How they went about doing so is where each largely varied, and this was something that Archie had written about within his notes on them. Using a Venn diagram of sorts, only utilizing four circles instead of what ordinarily would only be 2. In between their conjunction is where he would place this similarity. With each now being filled out in some form or another, being done so meticulously, it was at least enough written for later use.

Lo' and behold, that later use could actually be the current moment. As Professor Khanna moved on to the next bit, he asked about theoretical situations that they could be used in. This was something that could be answered with ease now, whereas had this question come up at the start of the lesson...not so much. So, with a hand being held up high in the air towards the ceiling, yes, like Archie just didn't have a care, the young wizard would recant on a situation that had occurred previously in life "As someone with younger brothers who are prone to...telling their own creative stories to our parents, the Secrecy Sensor would be able to help determine the truth of the matter. For example, there was this one time when my youngest sibling Kenny told our mom that I was the one taking our other brother's video games, which was a lie."

And it was to a certain extent. Archibold wasn't taking his brother's video games specifically...but he was the one who took the charging cord for the PlayStation controllers. So, if it came down to specific semantics and lying through the direct words told, then it would be useful. If not...well, then...oops...

Dhruv would have thought it ingenious that Archie had come up with such an idea to make his notes; it would be rather helpful for looming third year exams towards the end of the term. The younger Slytherin did seem rather eager to answer the question, judging by the hand being held so high; it was a surprise that said hand hadn’t departed from the body it was attached to. The professor grinned. “Yes, naughty siblings certainly create that sort of issue, don’t they? The use of a suitable detector would debunk them to your parent in no time.”

SPOILER!!: Brandon! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Brandon shook his head unconvincingly at professor Khanna's question, not wanting to admit that anything was wrong. Not in front of the class, at least... maybe later. Still, he was immensely relieved when Vera switched his foe glass with her probity probe, and he shot her a grateful smile. It made it a lot easier for him to focus.

"If I got a bad gut feeling about someone I just met, I would use a sneakoscope to detect if they were doing something untrustworthy or lying to me. I can't think of a situation other than an interpersonal one where I would need a sneakoscope... I think the other dark detectors would be generally more useful."

Except for the foe glass, of course. It wasn't useful if he couldn't look at it without freaking out.

Dhruv did not believe Brandon but they did understand the feeling of not wanting to admit to an issue in front of everyone. Still keeping their voice low, they interjected, "If you would like to have a chat after this lesson with me, you're welcome to do so." Each student's well being was important, after all. Reverting to their regular tone, Dhruv nodded in approval. "Indeed a Sneakoscope would be excellent for such a situation. And that's a good point. Each detector is limited in some manner."


* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“It’s just about time that we move onto our activity,’’ Dhruv remarked after taking a look at their watch. They headed back to the front of the class as they would need to perform a few demonstrations for the spells the students needed to use. “Oh. The circulating Chocolate Frog Cards… they can be kept by anyone who wants them. Please ensure you work out who possesses them amicably.”

They came to a halt before the whiteboard, facing the many faces before them. “Caring for your Dark Detectors is of utmost importance as dust, grime, and spillages hamper the Detectors ability to perform their tasks. For example, dust covering a Foe Glass can prevent it from displaying an enemy’s shadow. Food spillages on a Sensor or Probe can stick to them thus interfering with their magic.

“Some of you may be familiar with today’s spells: The Wiping Spell, which does exactly as the name says.” With some basic hand movements, the black marker began jotting these important points on the board. “It siphons liquids, dust and grease so it’s a suitable choice for our task today.” Dhruv paused to give the students time to make their notes. “The incantation is Tergeo and the wand movement is…” The professor retrieved their Phoenix feather core wand to perform the movement. “Simply pointing your wand at the target.” Cue some enthusiastic pointing from them.

“Our second spell especially comes in useful for the Sensors and Probes: The Polishing Charm. It works on all surfaces: wood, glass, leather, linoleum, and so forth. The incantation is simple: Poliotus, and so is the wand movement. For that, you will need to say the incantation while slowly moving your wand over the target in an 'S' shape.” There was another demonstration from Dhruv while the marker continued to scribble away.

“So. Off you go with your practice, if you need to, afterwhich you will clean your detectors then polish them. I will be around should you require assistance.” With the last note written on the board, the marker recapped itself then settled on Dhruv’s desk.

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Whiteboard

The Wiping Spell {Siphons liquids, dust and grease}
Incantation: Tergeo {Pronounced: ter-GEE-o}
Wand Movement: Point wand at target

The Polishing Charm {works on all surfaces: wood, glass, leather, linoleum etc.}
Incantation: Poliotus {Pronounced: poh-lee-OH-tuss}
Wand Movement: Say the incantation while slowly moving your wand over the target in an 'S' shape

OOC: Hello once again! <3 Our activity starts here! It will last for 3 days so you have until Sunday 11th February, 2024 at 10 PM EST!

Finally!

It was time for Archie's favorite part of quite literally every class, the main activity. While he did thoroughly enjoy the discussions that came before and getting to build into what the lesson would all boil down to, also noting that said talks were very necessary as well because you couldn't do things without fully knowing about them first; it still was the fact that the bold kid more preferred putting the knowledge learned to go use. Many theories raced by as he went on to think about what all they could be doing before it was actually spoken about. Alas, none of said theories would be true, and instead, the class would be...wait for it...cleaning the Dark Detectors. And his thoughts on this would basically be the same as before about theory and practicality. While this wouldn't be Archie's most enjoyable moment in class, he still did at the very least understand as to why they were doing it. Especially considering the Professor going on to even explain why the devices needed to be cleaned in the first place.

As fate would have it too, one of the spells that was mentioned that the students would need to know how to use to go about doing the task, Archibold already learned previously this year. Or a variation of it rather. The first one, Tergeo, which they had to use in one of the recent Herbology lessons when making a tincture. So, that first part would be done with due haste to. Grabbing his wand from his bag, it would be as simple as pointing it first at the Sneakoscope, saying "Tergeo." And watching as the Dark Detector would be scrubbed free from any dust or grime that was collected on it. Then this same, simple process would be repeated thrice more, once for each of the other detectors, going in the order which they learned about. Foe Glass, then the Secrecy Sensor, and finishing with the Probity Probe.

Now, all that was left was to learn and use the Polishing Charm.

Brandon nodded quietly at Professor Khanna. Yes, he would like to talk. Alone. Not with everybody around to hear all of Brandon's worries and mirror problems.

It made a lot of sense to him that dark detectors could be interfered with by grime and dust. Lots of non-magical devices were like that too, and Brandon was just generally suspicious of dirt and grime. He resolved to never let anything he owned get dirty ever- even though he knew it was impossible. He could still try his best...

Brandon perked up a bit at the idea of cleaning spells, which took his mind off of the Foe Glass Issue and allowed him to concentrate and start taking notes again. He already knew Tergeo, so he decided to practice with that first. Just point and say the words... "Tergeo." See? It was fairly simple, but he always practiced a spell ten times for good measure. "Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo." It was a lot of practicing for a spell he was already comfortable with, but he didn't believe in too much practice. He wanted to get it right when he needed it. Also, his four dark detectors were getting VERY clean, which was great.

Next up: Poliotus. It was a little bit harder to say, and the wand movement was a little bit harder, so he practiced them separately at first. "poh-lee-OH-tuss. PohleeOhtuss. Poliotus... poliotus..." And the wand was just a simple "S" shape... he thought he could do it, so he started polishing his probity probe. "Poliotus."

As he continued to make progress, his mood began to improve further.

SPOILER!!: Mini activity catchup

So Secrecy Sensors and Probity Probes couldn’t be tricked by a Confundus Charm? That was good to know! Did the same apply to Sneakoscope and Foe Glasses too? Desiree was still pondering that question when the lesson moved on. She blinked, mildly intrigued to learn that Secrecy Sensors didn’t pick up on love potions. What other potions did they not consider dark? Was Polyjuice among them? That could be potentially problematic if it was!

Her thoughts stayed along those lines as she brainstormed a hypothetical scenario. What if her family started acting strangely? If that were the case, she’d probably think they were either cursed, kidnapped, or replaced with impostors. So which dark detector would she use to get to the bottom of it? Not the Sneakoscope. That one detected deception, but the level of deception could be anything. Probably not the Probity Probe either. They detected Concealment Charms, which would be useful only if her family had been replaced with impostors who’d used such spells to disguise their appearance. Other types of disguise could go undetected, and what were the odds that they’d just happen to be carrying hidden objects?

That left two choices, the Secrecy Sensor and the Foe Glass. Which one would be more useful? A Secrecy Sensor could detect curses placed on her family or certain spells an impostor could use as a disguise, but what if they used a method of disguise that wasn’t considered dark? That left the Foe Glass, which showed one’s enemies’ presence. Anyone willing to curse and/or impersonate her family was an enemy in her book, so she was going with that one!

She raised her hand and said, “If my family were acting strangely, I’d suspect they were cursed or replaced with impostors. While a Secrecy Sensor or Probity Probe could be useful, there are certain spells and potions they don’t detect, and a Sneakoscope detects any type of deception, no matter how vague or harmless. I’d go with a Foe Glass in that situation because anyone willing to do that to my family is an enemy.”

Desiree wondered where they were going with all these hypothetical scenarios. She was mildly surprised to hear they would be cleaning the dark detectors instead of using them, but she wasn’t disappointed. If nothing else, it was a chance to practice her charms! She copied the spell information on the board down in her notes, though being the neat freak that she was, she was already familiar with both spells.

She didn’t think it necessary to practice the individual components of Tergeo, having used that spell so many times before, but she would practice Poliotus.She made the S-shape with her wand a few times, then moved on to the incantation. “Poh-lee-OH-tuss,” she said quietly under her breath. “Poliotus, Poliotus…” Okay, that was enough practice! Time to do the spells for real.

Desiree aimed her wand at the first dark detector she saw, a Secrecy Sensor. “Tergeo,” she cast, pointing her wand. An instant later, the Secrecy Sensor was clean and grease-free. Now for the Polishing Charm. She made a slow, careful S-shape with her wand. “Poliotus!” She watched as the Secrecy Sensor was magically polished to a nice shine. Now she just had to do the same thing with the other detectors!

This far into the term and one would think that Emma would be used to the routine of Professor Khanna's lessons. Well technically on the physical aspect the blonde was present, but mentally she was still thinking about how to convince her dad the importance of a nose piercing. Of course having just turned thirteen, she wasn't sure how successful she'd be ... but a girl could could only hope. Although she could just wait three years and then not have to worry about the permission thing.

Emma picked up each of the mini dark detectors as they were talked about, pretending to be paying attention although she had nothing really to add to the discussion. She did like the one that resembled a mirror though.... it would be cool if it showed desires like the mirror of erised. She wasn't particularly fond of the historical information as to the names of who invented it. No, she was more interested in what each of the items did.

She was was a little confused and also uncomfortable with sharing about the hypothetical situation, so instead she went to back to daydreaming about the nose candy. And boys and maybe girls who's attention she'd attract with it. Oh they were going to be practicing two spells!! Wait, wasn't tergeo also used for cleaning? She wondered too what these cleaning spells had to do with the dark detectors? Would that make them more effective?

"Terggeeeooooo..." she practiced, although she'd heard that one used before, but the polishing spell was one she hadn't really heard of before though it sounded kind of cool and a good way to impress someone. "Poll-oh-tush." Wait, there was no H. "Poll-oh-tus" So uh ... was this Professor Khanna's way to get them to do chores? Cause it was rather sneaky of him. Unless he just wanted them to clean first before they use them? Maybe they'd see the effects better if the devices were cleaned first ...

SPOILER!!: Replies!

SPOILER!!: Archie! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by natethegreat

Finally!

It was time for Archie's favorite part of quite literally every class, the main activity. While he did thoroughly enjoy the discussions that came before and getting to build into what the lesson would all boil down to, also noting that said talks were very necessary as well because you couldn't do things without fully knowing about them first; it still was the fact that the bold kid more preferred putting the knowledge learned to go use. Many theories raced by as he went on to think about what all they could be doing before it was actually spoken about. Alas, none of said theories would be true, and instead, the class would be...wait for it...cleaning the Dark Detectors. And his thoughts on this would basically be the same as before about theory and practicality. While this wouldn't be Archie's most enjoyable moment in class, he still did at the very least understand as to why they were doing it. Especially considering the Professor going on to even explain why the devices needed to be cleaned in the first place.

As fate would have it too, one of the spells that was mentioned that the students would need to know how to use to go about doing the task, Archibold already learned previously this year. Or a variation of it rather. The first one, Tergeo, which they had to use in one of the recent Herbology lessons when making a tincture. So, that first part would be done with due haste to. Grabbing his wand from his bag, it would be as simple as pointing it first at the Sneakoscope, saying "Tergeo." And watching as the Dark Detector would be scrubbed free from any dust or grime that was collected on it. Then this same, simple process would be repeated thrice more, once for each of the other detectors, going in the order which they learned about. Foe Glass, then the Secrecy Sensor, and finishing with the Probity Probe.

Now, all that was left was to learn and use the Polishing Charm.

Naturally the professor would provide reasons as to why the students were assigned a particular task. They had long come to learn that even if reasons weren’t provided, at least one sharp minded student would ask the question. Among the first students that Dhruv observed as they practiced was Archie. A diligent student, there really was no doubt that he would follow the instructions and at the same time, be successful. “Nicely done, Mr. O’Brien.” Now for the second spell.

SPOILER!!: Brandon! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by astrocat

Brandon nodded quietly at Professor Khanna. Yes, he would like to talk. Alone. Not with everybody around to hear all of Brandon's worries and mirror problems.

It made a lot of sense to him that dark detectors could be interfered with by grime and dust. Lots of non-magical devices were like that too, and Brandon was just generally suspicious of dirt and grime. He resolved to never let anything he owned get dirty ever- even though he knew it was impossible. He could still try his best...

Brandon perked up a bit at the idea of cleaning spells, which took his mind off of the Foe Glass Issue and allowed him to concentrate and start taking notes again. He already knew Tergeo, so he decided to practice with that first. Just point and say the words... "Tergeo." See? It was fairly simple, but he always practiced a spell ten times for good measure. "Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo Tergeo." It was a lot of practicing for a spell he was already comfortable with, but he didn't believe in too much practice. He wanted to get it right when he needed it. Also, his four dark detectors were getting VERY clean, which was great.

Next up: Poliotus. It was a little bit harder to say, and the wand movement was a little bit harder, so he practiced them separately at first. "poh-lee-OH-tuss. PohleeOhtuss. Poliotus... poliotus..." And the wand was just a simple "S" shape... he thought he could do it, so he started polishing his probity probe. "Poliotus."

As he continued to make progress, his mood began to improve further.

Then a talk it would be then. And though this matter was settled for now, they still kept a close eye on Brandon. Dhruv couldn’t help but reminisce about the Hufflepuff as a sensitive first year, when the lesson had been about Kappas and blood had been mentioned a few times. It had been from that moment they had begun feeling protective of him. But as Brandon continued his practice now, Dhruv suspected that this distraction was exactly what was needed. Not wanting to break the moment, they simply silently congratulated Brandon on his hard work so far.

SPOILER!!: Desiree! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

SPOILER!!: Mini activity catchup

So Secrecy Sensors and Probity Probes couldn’t be tricked by a Confundus Charm? That was good to know! Did the same apply to Sneakoscope and Foe Glasses too? Desiree was still pondering that question when the lesson moved on. She blinked, mildly intrigued to learn that Secrecy Sensors didn’t pick up on love potions. What other potions did they not consider dark? Was Polyjuice among them? That could be potentially problematic if it was!

Her thoughts stayed along those lines as she brainstormed a hypothetical scenario. What if her family started acting strangely? If that were the case, she’d probably think they were either cursed, kidnapped, or replaced with impostors. So which dark detector would she use to get to the bottom of it? Not the Sneakoscope. That one detected deception, but the level of deception could be anything. Probably not the Probity Probe either. They detected Concealment Charms, which would be useful only if her family had been replaced with impostors who’d used such spells to disguise their appearance. Other types of disguise could go undetected, and what were the odds that they’d just happen to be carrying hidden objects?

That left two choices, the Secrecy Sensor and the Foe Glass. Which one would be more useful? A Secrecy Sensor could detect curses placed on her family or certain spells an impostor could use as a disguise, but what if they used a method of disguise that wasn’t considered dark? That left the Foe Glass, which showed one’s enemies’ presence. Anyone willing to curse and/or impersonate her family was an enemy in her book, so she was going with that one!

She raised her hand and said, “If my family were acting strangely, I’d suspect they were cursed or replaced with impostors. While a Secrecy Sensor or Probity Probe could be useful, there are certain spells and potions they don’t detect, and a Sneakoscope detects any type of deception, no matter how vague or harmless. I’d go with a Foe Glass in that situation because anyone willing to do that to my family is an enemy.”

Desiree wondered where they were going with all these hypothetical scenarios. She was mildly surprised to hear they would be cleaning the dark detectors instead of using them, but she wasn’t disappointed. If nothing else, it was a chance to practice her charms! She copied the spell information on the board down in her notes, though being the neat freak that she was, she was already familiar with both spells.

She didn’t think it necessary to practice the individual components of Tergeo, having used that spell so many times before, but she would practice Poliotus.She made the S-shape with her wand a few times, then moved on to the incantation. “Poh-lee-OH-tuss,” she said quietly under her breath. “Poliotus, Poliotus…” Okay, that was enough practice! Time to do the spells for real.

Desiree aimed her wand at the first dark detector she saw, a Secrecy Sensor. “Tergeo,” she cast, pointing her wand. An instant later, the Secrecy Sensor was clean and grease-free. Now for the Polishing Charm. She made a slow, careful S-shape with her wand. “Poliotus!” She watched as the Secrecy Sensor was magically polished to a nice shine. Now she just had to do the same thing with the other detectors!

“Excellent, Ms. Marchand. A Foe Glass in that situation would be quite appropriate.” The Hufflepuff always placed such well thought answers out. Dhruv certainly was going to miss having her around in the new academic year. In addition to her answers, Desiree always worked hard on her spells. Hard work put in equalled successful results. “Wonderfully done,’’ Dhruv added when the detectors were extra shiny and clean.

SPOILER!!: Emma! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

This far into the term and one would think that Emma would be used to the routine of Professor Khanna's lessons. Well technically on the physical aspect the blonde was present, but mentally she was still thinking about how to convince her dad the importance of a nose piercing. Of course having just turned thirteen, she wasn't sure how successful she'd be ... but a girl could could only hope. Although she could just wait three years and then not have to worry about the permission thing.

Emma picked up each of the mini dark detectors as they were talked about, pretending to be paying attention although she had nothing really to add to the discussion. She did like the one that resembled a mirror though.... it would be cool if it showed desires like the mirror of erised. She wasn't particularly fond of the historical information as to the names of who invented it. No, she was more interested in what each of the items did.

She was was a little confused and also uncomfortable with sharing about the hypothetical situation, so instead she went to back to daydreaming about the nose candy. And boys and maybe girls who's attention she'd attract with it. Oh they were going to be practicing two spells!! Wait, wasn't tergeo also used for cleaning? She wondered too what these cleaning spells had to do with the dark detectors? Would that make them more effective?

"Terggeeeooooo..." she practiced, although she'd heard that one used before, but the polishing spell was one she hadn't really heard of before though it sounded kind of cool and a good way to impress someone. "Poll-oh-tush." Wait, there was no H. "Poll-oh-tus" So uh ... was this Professor Khanna's way to get them to do chores? Cause it was rather sneaky of him. Unless he just wanted them to clean first before they use them? Maybe they'd see the effects better if the devices were cleaned first ...

The thought of making the students clean the DADA classroom had crossed their mind. Just kidding. Dhruv’s intention had been solely for them all to learn the best way to ensure the detectors were in tip-top shape. “Great attempts with the incantations, Ms. Montmorency.” It was clear she had taken great care in getting the words right.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“As we are running out of time for this lesson, I just have one last aspect to cover before you head out. Now that you better understand the functions of these detectors and the roles they can play in our lives, do you think that the use of one or more of them would have impacted any of the Wizarding Wars? Or any other incident of significance that occurred in Wizarding history? You may also expound on why you chose your answer.”


OOC: Hi, guys! This is the final part of the lesson so we will be wrapping up in about 25 hours! Catch up for the activity is still allowed, even if I posted this a little earlier than intended.

Desiree beamed, her cheeks flushing pink at the praise from Professor Khanna. She continued cleaning the dark detectors until time ran out. As she considered the next question, her thoughts turned to the Third Wizarding War. That was a few years before she started Hogwarts, but she was old enough to notice how much the news worried her parents. Thank Merlin her older brother was homeschooled!

She thought about how dark detectors might’ve changed things. What if one of the professors had a Foe Glass? They might have caught on to the fact that the headmaster was an impostor in time to act before the Neo Alliance takeover. She hesitated to voice that thought out loud because it sounded like she was blaming the professors, some of whom were still around.

Instead, she focused on a different dark detector and a different Wizarding War. Her thoughts turned to Voldemort’s return to power in 1995 and the Ministry’s denial. What would’ve happened if Cornelius Fudge had used a Secrecy Sensor on Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore? Those detect lies, so if they didn’t go off, that would be proof that they were telling the truth, right?

Desiree raised her hand and said, “I wonder what would’ve happened if the Ministry had used a Secrecy Sensor when Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore tried to warn them about Voldemort’s return to power. Secrecy Sensors detect lies and wouldn’t have gone off because Potter and Dumbledore were telling the truth. That could theoretically have proven their claims and bought the Ministry more time to act.” The real question was, would the Ministry have acted earlier if faced with that proof?

SPOILER!!: Replies!

SPOILER!!: Desiree! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMadamMalfoy

Desiree beamed, her cheeks flushing pink at the praise from Professor Khanna. She continued cleaning the dark detectors until time ran out. As she considered the next question, her thoughts turned to the Third Wizarding War. That was a few years before she started Hogwarts, but she was old enough to notice how much the news worried her parents. Thank Merlin her older brother was homeschooled!

She thought about how dark detectors might’ve changed things. What if one of the professors had a Foe Glass? They might have caught on to the fact that the headmaster was an impostor in time to act before the Neo Alliance takeover. She hesitated to voice that thought out loud because it sounded like she was blaming the professors, some of whom were still around.

Instead, she focused on a different dark detector and a different Wizarding War. Her thoughts turned to Voldemort’s return to power in 1995 and the Ministry’s denial. What would’ve happened if Cornelius Fudge had used a Secrecy Sensor on Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore? Those detect lies, so if they didn’t go off, that would be proof that they were telling the truth, right?

Desiree raised her hand and said, “I wonder what would’ve happened if the Ministry had used a Secrecy Sensor when Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore tried to warn them about Voldemort’s return to power. Secrecy Sensors detect lies and wouldn’t have gone off because Potter and Dumbledore were telling the truth. That could theoretically have proven their claims and bought the Ministry more time to act.” The real question was, would the Ministry have acted earlier if faced with that proof?

“Very good, Ms. Marchand!’’ the professor commended as they leaned casually against their desk. “How quickly, and how much chaos could have been avoided if the Ministry had done its due diligence.” Dhruv shook their head sadly. “We can only hope that lessons are learnt from mistakes such as these.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Our time has come to an end for this lesson. Your homework will be posted shortly to your respective House notice boards so keep an eye out for that. Just a reminder that the mini Dark Detectors are yours to keep.” Dhruv glanced at Brandon subtly, checking to see that the Hufflepuff would remain behind.


OOC: That’s all, folks! Thank you all for participating! This thread will remain for a few more hours to allow catch up to the activity &/or to allow you to post your charrie leaving.

Oh ... after her very distracted beginning, she was doing okay? She appreciated Professor Khanna's praise even if he was just doing his job but she doubted very much that he would have done this a year ago. And it seemed the lesson was nearly over?

Something Desiree said about how it could have impacted the wizarding wars gave Emma some thoughts and questions of her own. "In more recent history, they could have been used during the third wizarding war and maybe seen ... I remember my brother telling me that the Headmaster was an imposter. But it also has me question the legitimacy." She paused, trying to collect her thoughts some instead of sounding like rambling, which it might have sounded like anyway. "If these tools existed, why weren't they used back then? Are they illegal? Do some high-powered officials not trust their use? And if they don't trust them, it wouldn't have made any difference during the rise of Voldemort, since well... they wouldn't believe them." It's just that she was pretty sure these dark detectors have been in existence for awhile, so perhaps reliability was an issue? "Are they ... inconsistent in reliability?"

SPOILER!!: Emma! <3

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhoenixRising

Oh ... after her very distracted beginning, she was doing okay? She appreciated Professor Khanna's praise even if he was just doing his job but she doubted very much that he would have done this a year ago. And it seemed the lesson was nearly over?

Something Desiree said about how it could have impacted the wizarding wars gave Emma some thoughts and questions of her own. "In more recent history, they could have been used during the third wizarding war and maybe seen ... I remember my brother telling me that the Headmaster was an imposter. But it also has me question the legitimacy." She paused, trying to collect her thoughts some instead of sounding like rambling, which it might have sounded like anyway. "If these tools existed, why weren't they used back then? Are they illegal? Do some high-powered officials not trust their use? And if they don't trust them, it wouldn't have made any difference during the rise of Voldemort, since well... they wouldn't believe them." It's just that she was pretty sure these dark detectors have been in existence for awhile, so perhaps reliability was an issue? "Are they ... inconsistent in reliability?"

It wasn’t Dhruv’s job to lavish praise on the students. Whenever they saw that praise should be given, they gave it.
“Interesting questions. There is no law against using these detectors. Had there been, the regular witch or wizard - that is, those of us outside of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement Department, for example - would not be able to have any Detector whether they are normal sized or mini.” Dhruv themself would not have been able to hand out these smaller versions to the students. “I assure you, Ms. Montmorency, the detectors are quite reliable.”